Taisetsu na Hito
by Arbil
Summary: 4 years had passed, and Naruto-tachi now lead peaceful lives in Konoha. Enter Gaara and Temari. Also, there's this girl who caught Gaara's eye...Lurking at the brink of their peace, a shadow returned to torment Konoha again...
1. Intro! Tsunade's Pupil!

A/N: New story, new story. (Dances round and round) Oh, I always wanted to type a Gaara story. Just thought I might have too much on my hands. But I really can't hold back all the ideas, of they'll fly away. I want Gaara-chan! Heehee.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sensei, but the new OC is mine!

"…" talk

'…' thoughts

= = = = changes in scene/time

Jutsu List

Katon, Ryuuka no Jutsu – Dragon Fire Technique

Byakugan – White Eyes

Kaiten – Heavenly Spin

Kagemane no Jutsu – Shadow Copy

Katon, Housenka no Jutsu – Mythical Fire Flower

Kamaitachi – Slashing Wind

Chapter 1: Intro! Tsunade's Pupil!

Three shinobis hid themselves in the trees, keeping silent. Their targets, five Hidden Stone shinobis. Three were already killed while two were standing back to back in the clearing. Their side had some casualties as well. Two shinobis suffered some light injuries while one had heavy internal bleeding. Suddenly, shurikens rained on them and they were forced to jump out of their hiding place. "Katon, Ryuuka no Jutsu!" screamed one of the ninjas. The two Hidden Stone ninjas evaded the stream of flames. One of them performed some handseals and rocks tumbled onto them. They managed to jump out of the way, but the other one had anticipated this and slammed his fist into the heavily injured ninja. He hit the ground with an audible crack and blood spurted from his mouth. A navy-haired kunoichi quickly landed beside him and begun healing him with chakra. "Byakugan!" she cried as she activated her bloodline limit. With it, she surveyed the damage suffered by her fellow shinobi. Said man had a few fractured ribs and internal bleeding. A scream told her that one of the Hidden Stone had been taken care of. Hinata tried to heal her fellow shinobi but with the lack of medicine and running low on chakra, the best she could do was stop the profuse external bleeding. Another scream made Hinata flinch inwardly. She hated killing. That was why she always let the others finish the job; she would only injure and knock her enemies out, never kill. Her comrade turned to her, "Mission accomplished. Let's get back to the village." Hinata nodded weakly.

= = = =

Konoha Hospital

Hinata brought her comrade to the hospital while the leader went to Hokage-sama to report about their mission. Once arriving at the hospital, she lost no time in getting him registered. When the doctor had him admitted, she sat on one of the benches, sighing in relief. "Hinata-chan? You're back from the mission!" Hinata looked up to see a girl her age beaming at her. "Kina-chan." She smiled. "What are you doing here?" "Usual check-up." "I suggest you clean up a bit. We'll be meeting Naruto-kun for lunch at Ichiraku." "Un."

Hinata's POV

I listened with a smile on my face as Kina-chan began to tell me about her day. Naoru Kina was a medic nin, like me. She graduated later than us and had made it to chuunin but she chose to pursue medicals instead. Kina-chan had been specially trained by Tsunade-sama. In fact, she was very skilled in medics and Tsunade-sama made her her pupil. She had been my best friend since we met during the medic nin course. Her rich blond hair looked especially bright under the sun. Soon, we reached my home and Kina-chan waited for me outside. After a bath and a fresh change of clothes, we were ready to meet Naruto-kun."

= = = =

Ichiraku Ramen

"Hinata-chan!" a blond boy of 16 jumped up and hugged Hinata tightly. Hinata giggled at her boyfriend's antics. "Naruto-kun." Together, they entered the ramen stand and ordered. Naruto spoke animatedly about his most recent mission, waving his arms round. Hinata just smiled and nodded. "And then, I defeated then with my Rasengan and we wrapped up the mission." He ended with his trademark fox grin. After that their ramen arrived and Naruto dove at his bowl. Hinata shook her head; Naruto was just such a messy eater. "Naruto-kun, you have ramen on your chin." She stretched her had out and brushed the pieces of noodles from his chin. Naruto grinned slyly and without warning, his tongue darted out to lick her fingers. The Hyuga turned a pretty shade of red. "Na-Naruto-kun!" she cried, embarrassed. The young shinobi grinned even wider. "Yare, yare. Looks like I'm invisible." Kina teased. The pair blushed; they had forgotten that Kina was there.

After lunch, the blonde left Hinata and Naruto as she went to mind her own business. Both ninjas walked around until they reached their favourite spot. The sunset was the best there. Hinata leaned backwards with Naruto's arms wrapped around her. They watched the sky silently, until Naruto pecked her lightly on the cheek. "Arigatou, Hinata-chan." "For what?" "For loving me." Hinata just smiled gently and leaned into his embrace. She remembered hearing that somewhere before.

Flashback

_"Kaiten!" screamed the silver-eyed girl. All the kunais were deflected but her opponent had rushed forward to attack her, katana drawn. The blow that landed on her, and blood spilled profusely. Ignoring it, she took this opportunity to land a blow on his chest, cutting of blood supply to his heart. The man fell down and began jerking. He fainted when no blood reached his brain. Hinata slapped his chest, letting blood back into his heart. She had no intention of becoming a killer just yet. Sudden pain gripped her and she passed out._

_When she woke up, the first thing she thought of was where she was. Before she could think properly, an orange blur attacked her. "Na-Naruto-kun?!" "Yokatta! You're okay!" Naruto hugged her tightly, oblivious to the presence of others in the room. Neji's eyebrow twitched, while Kina smiled tiredly. Kurenai was glad her student was all right while Kiba and Shino was relieved. Kina put a hand on Neji's shoulder and indicated him to leave them be. The others exited the room, leaving the two alone. Naruto finally released his hold on the kunoichi. Hinata could tell he hadn't slept from his tired face. "I'm so glad you're okay, you had me worried." 'He was worried about me?' "Gomenasai, Naruto-kun." Naruto gulped and readied himself, "Hinata-chan, I-I have something to tell you. At first I didn't realize it but after you almost died, I found out how much you meant to me." Hinata stayed silent. "I can't bear to see you get hurt. It hurts…here." He gripped at his chest. "I like you, Hinata-chan. I really, really like you." He whispered as though afraid of saying it. Hinata's silver eyes widen as Naruto made his confession. 'He likes me. He actually likes me.' Too shock to speak, Naruto took her silence as rejection. "I-I understand if you don't have any feelings for me." He stood up to leave. "After all, who would love a demon?" he said softly. _

_"Matte, Naruto-kun!" Hinata tried to stand but her wounds began to hurt and she began to cough violently. Naruto, anxious, rushed to her side. "Hinata-chan, daijoubu?" Hinata held onto him tightly, still coughing. "Don't leave, Naruto-kun. I like you too! For so long…" Naruto blinked stupidly and then sky blue orbs widen. He enveloped the Hyuga in a bone-crushing embrace, causing her to choke. Naruto released her quickly. "Gomen!" exclaimed the blond. She took a moment to breath before turning to Naruto. "I've always liked you, Naruto-kun. I was always watching you. You were the reason I became stronger. The reason I believe in my strength. Please don't say that no one would love a demon. Tashika ni the Kyubi resides in you, demo Naruto-kun wa Naruto-kun, Kyubi wa Kyubi. Even a demon deserves to be loved." Hinata smiled as she poured her heart out to him. 'After so long, I finally have the chance to tell him.' "Naruto-kun, I had always been in love with you." Naruto smiled, not the fake smile he had been using to cover his pain and loneliness, but a true smile of happiness. He hugged Hinata again, tears streaming down his face. 'At last…' "Arigatou." 'At long last…someone cares for me.' "Arigatou, for loving me." _

End of flashback

= = = =

Memorial of the Fallen Shinobi (is that what you call that place they put the names of the ninjas who died?)

A blonde girl stood in front of the stone monument. A Jounin with his dark hair pulled back into a scruffy ponytail stood beside her. Yamanaka Ino caressed the flowers in her hands. Nara Shikamaru looked sadly at the monument. Both were staring at a name carved onto the monument. Their best friend and teammate, Akimichi Chouji, had his name carved onto the stone monument. Ino bent down, placing the flowers on the ground. She did not cry; her tears had dried up a long time ago. Shikamaru just stood there, reliving the day he lost his best friend.

Flashback

_"Ino!" "Ino-chan!" Shikamaru and Chouji tried to reach the girl before the arrow could strike her. Ino felt her body move itself as she avoided the arrow, which only grazed her shoulder. Shikamaru sighed; relieved he managed to catch her with the Kagemane no Jutsu in time. He released her shadow and ran to her. However, it was too soon to be relieved. Their enemies were still after them. The client they were supposed to protect was shivering in the middle. The lazy shinobi tried to figure a way to get away. This wasn't easy as they were greatly outnumbered 11 to 3. After a long time, they somehow managed to downsize the group of enemy shinobis to 6. But they were running very low on chakra and all seemed bleak. "Shikamaru-kun, get down!" Shikamaru ducked a little too late as kunais pierced his back. Chouji went berserk at the sight of his best friend getting hurt. He consumed the red pepper pill and immediately, power radiated from him. With a loud roar of rage, Chouji went on a rampage, killing the 6 shinobis, who were shocked by the amount of chakra he possessed. Chouji ignored all the attacked thrown at him. all he was thinking about was to hurt these people who had endangered his friends, _

_"Chouji! Chouji!" "Oi, Chouji! Me o samase!" Ino had tears rolling down her face. Shikamaru was deathly pale. Chouji felt the side effect of the red pill kick in. Piled with the injuries, he knew he wasn't going to make it. "Hehe…Shikamaru-kun….gomen…for not listening to you. – cough – But we could've all died. Better one that four." "What're you saying Chouji? You'll be fine!" cried Ino. "Hehe – cough – You know, Ino-chan, I never told you but… I think you're the prettiest girl I've ever known. Ino-chan…I like you…" Ino gasped. "Come on, Chouji. Don't speak anymore, we'll get help." "Dameda…I'm not going to make it. You know that…Shikamaru-kun. Arigatou…for being my best friend… when nobody wants me. I'll miss you guys." "Don't talk like that!" Shikamaru said harshly. Tears threatened to spill. "Say…was I…did I manage to change?" "Yeah, yeah, you were strong. You're so cool, Chouji." To hell with not allowing emotions show, Shikamaru let himself cry. "Honto? Then I'm glad." With that Akimichi Chouji left the world. Only the night heard the sorrow in Ino and Shikamaru's cries._

End of flashback

After that incident, Ino stopped chasing Sasuke. Because the one who held her heart, all along, was the fat boy whom she had never really noticed. Ino regretted that she was never able to return his affection. Ino cried many days but Shikamaru never broke down. Ino was angry, angry that he could act so calmly after his best friend's death, jealous that he could confront his emotions so well, angry at herself that she never gave Chouji a chance. Now, it was too late. She remembered it when she lost her temper with Shikamaru's coolness.

_Ino's__ eyes were red from crying. "Stop crying, Ino." Shikamaru said tiredly. He wasn't in the spirit to deal with anymore tears. PAP! The sting from Ino's slap registered a little while later. Shikamaru looked away, his cheek gaining redness. "How could you act so calm?" raged Ino. "So composed? So…emotionless." Silence filled the air as Ino continued to cry silently. "He died a hero. I'm proud of him, and he was my best friend…don't you dare say I'm emotionless over his death. You have to face it, Ino! He's gone! But he'll always be here, in our hearts." "Shika-kun…" the blonde wept in her teammate's arms, for the last time._

"Yamanaka-san, we'll be late." A Chuunin stepped up and said. Ino touched the carvings of Chouji's name tenderly before standing up again. "All right, let's go." She hugged Shikamaru before leaving with her comrades.

= = = =

"What's our mission details?" asked a young girl from Ino's group. "We're supposed to escort the Hidden Sand representatives to Konoha." A brown-haired boy interrupted, "Is this about the new exchange plan between the two villages?" Ino glanced behind to acknowledge the boy, who was a new Chuunin. "Hai." The boy bore a katana behind his back. He looked older than his real age, and somewhat sickly. Hayate Enki questioned Ino again, "May I know who Konoha sent to Sunagakure no Satou?" "Neji and Tenten." The girl in her group, also a new Chuunin, sounded impressed, "Hyuga Neji?" "Hai. Now keep your mind on the mission." Takura Anzu blushed a little. Ino could read that the Chuunin had a crush on the Hyuga prodigy. 'Pity he seemed more concentrated on getting stronger.'

Hyuga Neji and Tenten were now Jounins for a year and had been chosen to represent Konoha in the exchange of shinobis. (Kinda like student exchange programs) It was a new peace pact by the Godaime and the new Kazekage in order to enforce the strength of the two villages. All the villages were still unstable after Orochimaru's defeat last year. The Akatsuki had gone without a trace but not destroyed for sure. "Here we are." Ino stopped and landed in the middle of a clearing. "Okashii… There's no one here." Anzu looked around. Suddenly, without warning, shurikens showered upon them. The three jumped aside and got ready for battle. Ino made some quick handseals and performed a low level Genjutsu to confuse their enemies. Enki had his hand on the hilt on his sword. For a while, the atmosphere was tense and no sound was to be heard.

Suddenly, a figure darted out of nowhere and slammed towards Ino. Said kunoichi drew out a kunai and blocked it. For a while Ino was caught up in the battle as she couldn't even see the face of her attacker as the person was heavily cloaked. Enki swung his katana at the attacker, who jumped back. Anzu launched into a series of handseals, "Katon, Housenka no Jutsu!" The figure opened his weapon, a huge pale yellow fan with three green dots on it. Ino frowned. 'I've seen that somewhere before.' The figure swept his fan at the approaching fireballs, "Ninpou, Kamaitachi!" Ino's teal eyes widen as she heard another voice behind her, "Sabaku Kyuu." Anzu gave a small scream as sand gripped her ankles. Ino however, relaxed as she put on a frown. "That's not funny, you two." A redhead walked out of the shadows, arms crossed and cloaked. He had the 'Ai' kanji tattooed onto his forehead. A girl, probably two or three years older than Ino, pulled down her hood and grinned, "Konoha has some very potential ninjas. You actually made me use the Kamaitachi on you." Anzu still looked shocked. Ino dusted her pants and said, "These are the representatives from the Hidden Sand. Meet Temari and Sabakuno Gaara."

Yare, yare-Oh dear

Yokatta-That's great (express relief)

Matte-Wait

Daijoubu-[I'm] fine/okay (Daijoubu desu ka?- Are you okay?)

Gomen/Gomenasai-Sorry

Tashika ni-It's true that…

Me o samase-Open your eyes

Dameda-[I] can't

Honto-Really

Okashii-Strange

A/N: Ne, how was it? Like it? Hate it? Please review to let me know!! Arigatou gozaimasu!


	2. Badger and Fox

A/N: HUUUEEEII!!! Sorry for the late update! But I've got a lot of things coming up, I'm really busy lately. The flow's gonna be much slower so please bear with me ne? Thank you to the reviewers:

Wormkaizer – Thank you!!

Gopu – Thanks!

Authoress Pendragon – Ah, one of my favourite authors reviewed. Yay! As for the spacing out, I'll see what other way I can put it in. I'm kinda experimenting right now. Yup, yup! Gaara's THE most kakoi!!

Kitsune No Youkai – Thank you for your review! I'll try to lessen unnecessary use of Japanese.

Now, to the next chapter.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sensei.

"…" talk

[…] thoughts

:: Place's name ::

Jutsu List

Suna Shuriken – Sand Shuriken

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu – Shadow Clone Replication

Sabaku Kyuu – Desert Coffin

Chapter 2: Badger and fox

_He had the 'Ai' kanji tattooed onto his forehead. A girl, probably two or three years older than Ino, pulled down her hood and grinned, "Konoha has some very potential ninjas. You actually made me use the Kamaitachi on you." Anzu still looked shocked. Ino dusted her pants and said, "These are the representatives from the Hidden Sand. Meet Temari and Sabakuno Gaara."_

__

* * *

__

:: Konoha village ::

Kina walked about the village. Today was when the Sand shinobi will arrive. [I wonder if they'll be used to Konoha.] The blonde kunoichi jumped onto the roof of one of the many buildings. Twirling a kunai leisurely, she strolled on the rooftops, taking care not to disturb the residence. Suddenly, she felt another presence behind her. Kina smiled, "Back from your mission already?" She turned around, coming face to face with a raven-haired shinobi. "Sasuke-kun." Sasuke gave Kina a small nod.

"Aa, it was too easy for my enjoyment."

"Always with the Uchiha arrogance."

Sasuke gave a rare smile. He knew she meant it good-naturedly. "Where's Naruto?" Kina grinned cheekily, "Probably off somewhere with Hinata-chan."

"She's back too?"

"Un!" Suddenly, Sasuke turned around. Kina frowned, "What's that chakra?" They disappeared in a poof of smoke.

* * *

:: Somewhere in Konoha ::

As both Kina and Sasuke appeared, they were met with a battle scene. Naruto held a kunai in attack position. His opponent carried a large gourd and had his back turned to them. Kina prepared to interfere but was stopped by Sasuke. Naruto threw the kunai at the opposing shinobi and ran at him. Sand rushed up to block the kunai from reaching its target. After that, the blond threw punch after punch in quick succession. What surprised Kina was how a wall of sand appeared to defend the enemy. "Is that ninjutsu?" Sasuke shook his head.

"Suna Shuriken." Shurikens burst out of the sand. Naruto deflected them with shurikens of his own. He placed his hands in a familiar seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A horde of Narutos appeared and rushed towards the enemy. Said shinobi raised his arms, uttering a phrase that both Sasuke and Naruto were familiar with, "Sabaku Kyuu." Sand gripped a few Narutos but most got past the sand.

With unexpected speed, Naruto started his combo. "U-ZU-MA-KI," the clones shouted as the kicked him into the air. "Naruto Rendan!" finished Naruto as he slammed the opponent back to the ground. When the dust settled, Kina was surprised to find him slowly standing up. [His face, is cracking.] True, the shinobi's face cracked. Kina was even more stunned to find skin underneath it. Soon, his mask fell away into sand and gathered back into his gourd. Naruto landed on the ground next to him.

"Damn! It's still hard to get past your defense." Naruto exclaimed, hints of a pout twitching at the edge of his mouth. "You were just playing around." The other shinobi stated. For the first time, Kina saw the face of the 'enemy' clearly. He had a headful of crimson hair, almost the colour of blood. The kanji 'Ai' was etched onto his forehead, slightly more to the left. There were bags around his eyes, green pupils gazing at Naruto with a bored expression on his face. Kina noticed the hitai-ate tied round the gourd's strap.

"Hidden Sand…" she whispered. Naruto turned to her, a foxy grin on his face. "Kina-chan, meet Sabakuno Gaara." "He's from the Hidden Sand." Sasuke added. "Shitteru?!" Naruto smirked. "Beat his ass once. Had to save Sasuke-bastard." Gaara and Sasuke frowned. Kina held out her hand, smiling.

"Welcome to Konoha, Gaara. I hope you'll enjoy your stay." Gaara didn't take her hand. Instead, he settled for looking at her. Her blonde hair resembled Naruto's, except hers was straight, long and was a richer shade. Her hazel eyes sparkled with the same kind of warmth the Naruto radiate, only much gentler. "He's not the most social guy." Naruto offered as Kina retracted her hand. Together, they headed to the Hokage Tower to report Gaara's arrival.

* * *

:: Hokage Tower ::

"I hate paperwork." The legendary medic nin grumbled as she continued to sift through the documents. "Oy, Tsunade-baba!" A vein popped on her forehead as the all-too-familiar nickname was mentioned. She glared at the blond shinobi entering her room, thinking of bashing him into the ground. Naruto took one glance at the mountain of papers and raised an eyebrow at the Godaime. "You fell asleep again?" Another vein popped on her head as she advanced towards him.

However, she stopped as she caught sight of Gaara. "Oh, you've arrived. Hm? Where is the other?" Just at that moment, there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Ino stepped in, with Temari by her side. She seemed surprised when she saw Gaara. Seeing that both the Sand shinobis were here, Tsunade quickly went to business. "Here're your passes, and your new hitai-ate" she said as she handed them both the objects. "During your stay in Konoha, you are a villager of Konoha and I will expect you to remember that your loyalties are with Konoha. Of course, you will have to do missions and others regarding this village. Do you understand?" Gaara just nodded slightly as Temari answered with a soft, "Hai."

* * *

:: The Village of Hidden Sand ::

In the Kazekage's office, Hyuuga Neji and Ten Ten were currently, listening to a similar speech. Both nodded affirmative as Baki handed them their passes and headbands. "I have arranged for the two of you to stay at the Sabakuno residence." Ten Ten stepped up, "Excuse me, Kazekage-sama, but won't the owner be…uncomfortable with our presence. After all, we have yet to make their acquaintance." Baki just waved his hand, "You have met them, and two of them have gone in your place to the Konoha." The Hyuuga perked up at this, [They've gone to…that means…]

Just then, someone entered the office. Ten Ten and Neji instantly recognized the figure. The face paint and bundle on his back was an obvious give-away. "Kazekage-sama, you called for me?" asked Kankuro. "From today onwards, these two," he waved his hand at the two ninjas. "Will stay with you. You are to be their guardian. Is that clear?" "Hai, Kazekage-sama." Kankuro bowed, as did Neji and Ten Ten before the three of them left the office.

* * *

:: Konoha Village ::

Meanwhile, Tsunade had yet to decide on where the Sabakuno siblings will stay. She crinkled her forehead as she tried to think of a place, no, a person, who would accommodate a psychopath and his sister. There were, unfortunately, no empty places where she could put them currently. [A home for two, a home for two…e to…]

"How about…Naruto's apartment?"

"It's kinda crowded though, Tsunade-baba."

"Hm, true. What about Sasuke's place then?"

"May I be so bold to remind you, Hokage-sama, that I live in an apartment too?"

"Sou ne." Tsunade laughed sheepishly. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Hyuga residence? I doubt Hiashi-san appreciates the idea. The Nara residence isn't really an option either."

"Ano, Tsunade-sensei," Heads turned to Kina's direction. "May I offer a stay in my house?" Tsunade's face brightened. "Of course! Your house is large enough to house two more people." Kina smiled, glad of having relieved her sensei of a problem. "Right! It's decided then. Gaara, Temari, you two will stay with Kina now!" The Godaime smiled triumphantly. "Now, I'm going to have to finish this paperwork so off you go."

* * *

:: Kina's house ::

Kina led her two new housemates in, while Naruto and Sasuke helped Temari with the luggage (mainly hers). Kina showed them their rooms, the kitchen and the living room before a Chuunin knocked on her door. "Your presence is required at the hospital, Naoru-san." Kina nodded and turned to the others, "I have to go now. Ja!"

Gaara watched as the blonde followed the Chuunin out of sight. "Hospital?" asked the Sand kunoichi. "Kina-chan is a medic nin." Naruto answered simply. Gaara nodded slightly. That answered the question. Naruto grinned, "Saa, who's up for ramen?"

* * *

:: Ichiraku Ramen ::

Naruto led the small group to Ichiraku, and just after they had ordered, another person walked in. Naruto grinned as he recognized the boy. "Oy, Shikamaru," Said shinobi looked up, "Hey," was all he said. Naruto exchanged glances with Sasuke, but didn't say anything. Temari, however, found her mouth dry. She silently took in the details of the person she had not seen in 4 years. [He doesn't look much different.] True, Shikamaru looked like his usual self. His usual scruffy ponytail, his usual drawl, wearing his usual scowl. He was, however, wearing a Jounin vest, like Naruto and Sasuke. [Still…] thought Temari. [Something's missing in the picture.]

It was only after a while that Temari noticed what was missing. "Where's the other boy? The chubby one who was always with you?" Temari asked this purely out of curiosity, as she had never seen Shikamaru without Chouji around him. This seemingly casual question triggered different reactions from the three boys. Naruto's cheerful face suddenly darkened considerably, while Sasuke tried to look unaffected but failed to hide the sadness in his eyes. Temari looked at Shikamaru. He almost didn't look anything different, but Temari noticed the barely detectable flash of pain in his black eyes when she mentioned Chouji. "He died on a mission…a year ago." Shikamaru said in an all-too-calm voice. "I'm sorry." Shikamaru just waved it off. After that Ichiraku sunk into silence.

* * *

:: Hidden Sand, Kankuro's house ::

"You can take these two rooms. The kitchen and living room is downstairs. There are two bathrooms, one upstairs and one down." Ten Ten simply picked a room and dumped her things on the bed. Neji went to his room, which was right across Ten Ten's. Ten minutes later, Kankuro was showing them around town. "The village is rather peaceful." Ten Ten contemplated thoughtfully. Kankuro nodded, "Ever since Baki-sensei became Kazekage, things have improved." Ten Ten glanced at the puppet master. He looked weird as always with the face paint and strange outfit. It kind of reminded her of Lee, weird looks and green bodysuit. Once their tour was finished, they headed for 'home'.

Hyuuga Neji remained silent throughout the day. No one noticed that he was watching his comrade the whole time. The girl had long been the object of his attention, and affection. Of course, Hyuuga Neji will not show anyone that he had feelings for Ten Ten. Not he. Not yet. And so, he sat in the living room, across Kankuro, not saying a word. Suddenly, their attention was drawn to Ten Ten who was coming down the stairs. Both of them tried hard not to gape at the kunoichi as she appeared, dressed in what the Sand kunoichis usually wore. Kankuro's traveled to her waist and slowly, upwards. He looked away quickly before his mind roamed farther. Neji, who noticed this, growled mentally. He had just found a new rival.

Un/Hai – Yes

Shitteru?! – You know him?! (shocked)

A/N: That's the second chapter. I thought it was boring, and plain. The next chapter might spice it up though, I hope. Please review ne? Arigatou!


	3. First Impressions

A/N: First, gomen for not updating for so long!!!! Hey, who knew I'd catch chickenpox right after exams? Anyways thanks to those who reviewed:

Cookie6 – Thanks for your review!

Moll Flanders – Thanks for telling me!

Sun Hound – Thank you very much!

Sariachan-Marina – Thanks for the review!

Let's not waste anymore time!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

"…" talk

… thoughts

Changes in scenes will be indicated in **bold**

****

Chapter 3: First Impressions

* * *

**Hidden Sand; Sabakuno Residence **

It was still early dawn when Ten Ten awoke that morning. At first, she sat up for a while in the unfamiliar surroundings. This is the first time I woke in somewhere that's not Konoha. Well, not the first; she had taken missions that require her to camp out. But those were different. At least, in the end, I'll always return to Konoha. I'll be here for some time… Ten Ten grabbed a towel and some toiletries. She headed towards the bathroom, and proceeded to let her hair down. "Now, let's get you cleaned up."

Kankuro woke up groggily and stole a look at his alarm clock. 6.45? I want to sleep…but I've got a mission today… The puppet master lazily dragged himself out of bed. He was seemingly only half-conscious as he shuffled to the bathroom. Kankuro slid open the first shoji and dumped his towel and clothes onto the rack. In his state, he did not take much notice of the sound of running water from inside the bathroom. He slid the second shoji aside. The figure inside the tub turned quickly to face him. Kankuro's sleepiness vanished instantly as he remembered that he had guests in his house now, and he's staring at one of the right now. Ten Ten and Kankuro froze; both staring wide eyed at each other. Two seconds later, Ten Ten screamed, "HENTAI!!!!" She began pelting the intruder with anything within reach. Kankuro tried to evade the items thrown at him, but to quote Gai; Ten Ten could hit a hundred targets in a hundred tries. She never misses.

**Some time later…**

"He what?!" Hyuuga Neji was close to strangling Kankuro by now. Ten Ten hastily added, "It was an accident!" Kankuro was currently massaging the various bruises on his body. "I'm so sorry!" apologised the brown-haired girl. Kankuro waved his hands, "No! No! I'm the one who is sorry! I was still sleeping, and I forgot that there was someone else in my house." Neji snorted and said something that sounded like, "How convenient." Kankuro stood up angrily, "Hey, I really didn't mean it, okay?" Neji turned to fully face the other shinobi. They glared daggers at each other. Ten Ten noticed this and sighed. Why did things have to turn out this way?

* * *

**Konoha; Naoru residence**

On the contrary to Neji and Ten Ten's first morning in Hidden Sand, Gaara and Temari had a smooth start to the day. Both were having breakfast, or rather, Temari was trying to force Gaara to eat. Gaara just clamped his mouth shut tightly. "Come on, Gaara. You still got to eat." Temari was almost pleading. Gaara ignored her. Temari's cooking was inedible, if not horrible.

"Please…just one teeny bite."

"No."

Temari's temper flared. If not for the sand barrier, she would've whacked him across the head. "Ohayou, Temari-san, Gaara." Both turned to see Kina walking down the stairs. Temari was quick to offer Kina breakfast. Gaara opened his mouth to stop Kina but the blonde had already taken a bite. Gaara and Temari watched as her face turned green and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Kina dove under the table. Gaara silently felt sorry for the girl. When Kina sat back up again, she looked sick. Temari frowned, "What's wrong with it? I cooked really carefully this time." Kina sweatdropped, "I'm sorry. It was rude." Temari looked up, concerned, "Was it really that bad?" Kina and Gaara nodded.

Kina stood up and said, "I've got to get to the hospital now. Don't worry, I'll get breakfast along the way. I'm sorry I can't guide you around the village." Temari shook her head, "We know our way quite well, thank you." "Well then, ja ne!"

* * *

**Konoha**** Hospital**

Kina's hair glinted gold under the sun. As soon as she reported in, she reached for her schedule. "Kina-chan, ohayou." Kina turned around, "Ohayou, Hinata-chan!" Kina leaned over and peeked at Hinata's schedule. "Good, we're not too busy today. And we're off on the same time too. That means we can grab lunch together!" Hinata smiled at her friend's cheerful attitude. A small rustle and Kina produced a paper bag. Hinata blinked. "Didn't you have breakfast?" Kina looked up. "Well, Temari-san cooked but, um, I don't know if it's good to say things about her…her cooking skills are really lacking." Hinata giggled softly. "You must've had quite a shock, then."

Kina grinned, "Kinda. But hey, at least I didn't have it bad. Gaara practically lives with her. Poor guy, no wonder he looked like he was underfed." Kina glanced at her watch, "Whoops, time to fly! Ja, Hinata-chan!" Hinata waved the blonde goodbye. Kina was always such an optimistic person. She always thinks about how others are more unfortunate. And speaking of blonds, Hinata wondered what Naruto was doing right now.

* * *

**Ninja**** Academy**

The atmosphere was silent as all the students listened attentively to their pink-haired teacher talking about chakra control. It was common knowledge that Haruno Sakura was one of the best teachers in Konoha. Her class produced quite a lot of smart students, because they understood what she taught. The many pairs of eyes followed a duster that sailed through the air before landing with a thud on one of the students' head. The respective head shot up, its owner rudely awakened from his nap. Everyone stiffened as the ki emanated by the teacher became dangerous. "Goshio! Get over here!" Goshio gulped hard as he descended to the front of the classroom. Yes, it was common knowledge that Sakura was one the best teachers, but it was also known to all academy students that Sakura had a wrath that one should not incur.

Sakura's right eyebrow twitched with annoyance. "You seem to be sleepy, Goshio." She said in an overly sweet voice. The other students took this as a hint of forthcoming danger. Two seconds later, there was a whiz and Goshio jumped around avoiding the shurikens. Sakura had a look of fury on her face. "That should wake you up! Remember not to nap when I'm teaching!" The trembling boy whimpered and nodded before flying back to his seat. Sakura faced the students again. The whole class promptly sat straight up, fully alert now. When the last bell had rung and the last student filed out of the classroom, Sakura sat back down, arranging the stack of homework in front of her.

"Haruno Sakura, said to be the best teacher in Konoha. Her knowledge of the shinobi countries, histories and theories are profound. Students taught by her are said to be well-educated and smart. Now I see why." Sakura grinned as Naruto dropped from the ceiling. "It's not that the students are studious and attentive. They _have_ to be." Sakura glared half-heartedly at Naruto. "Here, I believe this is yours," said the blond as he tossed a few shurikens to the pink-haired Chuunin. "You knew I was here. You've gotten better." Sakura smiled, "Of course. So, what brings you here today, Naruto?" The blond leaned against the desk, "Before that, Sasuke, why don't you join us?" The raven-haired shinobi stepped out of the shadows, a smirk on his face.

Sakura raised an eyebrow, "My, my. Are we having a reunion today?" Naruto grinned. "No. More importantly, the Jounin exam is in two months." Sasuke observed the green-eyed girl, "Are you taking the exam, Sakura?" Silence filled the room. Naruto and Sasuke knew that she was remembering the last Jounin exam. Sakura was the only one in team 7 that didn't make it to Jounin. The reason? She lacked the hardiness and did not have enough stamina to achieve the appointed task. It was a separate exam so her two teammates could not help her. "If you want to participate, we'll train you." Naruto offered. "No." Sakura said blatantly. Naruto looked surprised, "Eh? Nande tte ba yo?"

"It's not that I've given up." Sakura said softly. "Tashika ni, I really wanted to be Jounin then. But now, I discovered that I really like teaching. I guess…I've grown attached to the kids." She ended with a confident smile. Naruto gave her a grin while Sasuke just smirked. "Well, what about you, Naruto? Are you going to try for Special Jounin? Sasuke already managed to get appointed." Naruto flashed Sakura and Sasuke his famous fox grin. "No. My current goal is higher than that." Naruto had a dangerous yet confident glint in his eyes. "My aim…is ANBU."

* * *

**The Monument of the Fallen Shinobi**

Temari walked slowly through the shades of the trees. The dark clouds above rumbled; a foreboding of rain. Don't rain on me! As if to defy her purposely, the clouds groaned, and it began drizzling. Temari cursed silently as she hastened her pace. While passing a monument of some sort, she caught sight of a lone figure standing in front of it. Shikamaru? She approached the shadow master silently, curious as to why he would stand in the rain. "Shikamaru, what are you doing here?" Said boy didn't say anything. His black eyes were fixed onto a name on the monument. Temari accompanied Shikamaru in the rain, both parties not exchanging words. Temari shivered slightly from the cold; the drizzle had become steadily heavier. "You know," Shikamaru suddenly started, "This is where they carve the names of heroes who died in missions." Shikamaru knelt down and ran a thumb over Chouji's name. Temari saw the pain in his eyes; she understood that Chouji was Shikamaru's best friend. "Let's get back." "Aa."

* * *

Translation

Hentai – Pervert

Nande – Why

Tashika ni – It's true that…

* * *

A/N: Hmm…it turned out rather nicely. Well, I hope I'm not rushing things too much; other than that I have a major change of plot and antagonists. Well, please review to tell what you think! Thanks!


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